“If you hunt two rabbits, you will lose them both” –old Turkish Proverb
Has the current recession affected associations? The data is hard to deny. According to one survey8, 36% of the 180 associations polled reported a decrease in their membership during 2010. In other words, more than a third of associations lost more members than they gained.
Understanding this dip is not difficult. Today, people are faced with difficult choices, stemming from the urgent realities of their situation. Time, income, and personal commitments are not just limited resources: they are sometimes wholly non-existent, or unstable at best. For example, the recent recession has seen the economy put into flux, increasing the financial demands and employment uncertainties of millions of Americans. As a direct result, millions are making decisions about what causes to support, which associations to stay active in, and which to discontinue.